Understanding your land tax assessment
Learn what is included in the different types of assessments.
If you owe land tax, we will send you a land tax assessment between January and June each year. This is a notice that shows how much land tax you need to pay for land you owned on 31 December of the previous year.
If you have not received an assessment before, you can read about paying land tax for the first time.
Your land tax is based on the site value of your land. This is the value of the land only and does not include buildings on it. The Valuer-General sets this value as at 1 January each year. It is also used by your local council to set your rates and you can find it on your rates notice.
We do not adjust land tax for property bought, sold or settled during the assessment year. Whoever owns the land as at 31 December is responsible for paying the land tax for the following year.
What your assessment includes
Your assessment notice shows:
- all the Victorian land you own, including land you own with others or through a trust
- the taxable value (site value) of each property
- any exemptions that apply, like the home where you live
- your share of the tax if you own land with others
- codes that explain how each piece of land is treated for land tax.
Check your assessment to confirm these key details:
- Your postal and residential addresses are correct.
- All land you owned on 31 December of the previous year is listed, including land you owned with others.
- If you own the property you live in, it is marked as your principal place of residence on the statement of lands page.
- Any land that is eligible for an exemption is marked exempt.
- No land is incorrectly marked as exempt.
- Land you hold as trustee of a trust is not included.
To avoid penalties, you must notify us if anything is incorrect within 60 days. You can make most common changes and updates easily online via My Land Tax.
Types of assessments
Individual assessments
If you own taxable land alone (not with any other joint owner), you will receive an individual assessment. This assessment shows all the land you own alone, plus any interest in land you own jointly with others. It will also show any interest you have in land held on trust. If a company owns land in its own right (not on trust), it will receive an individual land tax assessment.
Joint assessments
If you own land jointly with others, you may also receive a separate joint assessment. Each unique combination of owners is considered a different joint ownership. If you own land with different groups of people, you may receive more than one joint assessment. The customer receiving the joint assessment is receiving it on behalf of the other joint owners. Find out more about joint ownerships.
Trust assessments
Individuals or companies who hold taxable land as the trustee of a trust will receive an assessment that shows they are being taxed as the trustee. The trustee will receive an assessment for each different trust that owns taxable land. Find out more about land tax and trusts.
Land tax group assessments
When corporations are grouped, the land holdings of each member are combined and assessed as if they were a single land holding owned by a single corporation. Members of a land tax group are jointly and individually liable for the land tax payable by the group. Find out more about land tax and grouping.
Receiving more than one assessment
Land that is jointly owned may be assessed under both an individual assessment and a joint assessment. The individual assessment will include a deduction for the individual's share of the tax under the joint assessment, so you do not pay twice.
Land that is held on trust may be assessed under both an individual assessment and a trust assessment. This will happen if the individual is a beneficiary of the trust. The individual assessment includes a deduction for their share of the tax under the trust assessment, so they do not pay twice.
You may receive more than one assessment, but you should only receive one individual assessment for land you own alone. If you receive more than one individual assessment, you must contact us on 13 21 61 so we can update your land records.
Vacant residential land tax
If you own vacant residential land, you will receive a separate assessment for vacant residential land tax. Vacant residential land tax is different to land tax.
Calculations, terms and codes
Land tax calculation
Land tax is calculated by applying the appropriate land tax rate to the total taxable value of all the taxable land you own. The higher the total value of your land, the higher the tax rate will be.
- Trusts may pay higher tax rates (called surcharge rates).
- Absentee owners also pay extra tax on top of the general rates.
- Temporary increases in land tax rates and thresholds apply as part of the COVID Debt Repayment Plan.
Single holding tax
The single holding tax displayed on your assessment is for information purposes only. It is the amount of tax you would pay on one property at ordinary land tax rates if it was the only property you owned.
For example, if you own 3 taxable properties, then 3 separate single holding tax amounts will be shown on your assessment.
Single holding tax is shown against each taxable property on the statement of lands page of your assessment. Your principal place of residence and any other exempt land is not included in this calculation.
Proportional tax
Proportional tax is the tax applicable to a particular piece of land as a proportion of the total land tax liability of your assessment.
We calculate the proportional tax on land using the formula:
(taxable value of a property ÷ total value of all taxable properties) × total tax payable.
If you own multiple taxable properties, your assessment will show a separate proportional tax amounts for each one. Proportional tax is shown against each taxable property on the statement of lands page of your assessment. Your principal place of residence and any other exempt land is not included in this calculation. For an example using this formula, see an example of land tax calculation.
A change to your assessment or an updated property value after an objection will change the proportional tax for each property.
Codes
- PC – Property is in a parcel and is not the lead property
- CP – Caravan park exemption
- CHR – Charitable exemption
- DPR – Dual principal place of residence exemption
- Ret – Retirement village
- SH – Single holding
- RS – Residential service exemption
- PPL – Primary production land exemption
- Mine – Mine exemption
- RES – Residential care
- SPO – Outdoor club exemption
- PPR BEN – Principal place of residence with beneficial interest
- DIV 4 – Divisional 4 exemption
- STAT – Statutory authority exemption
- Mun – Municipality exemption
- ARM – Armed services personnel exemption
- LCA – Low cost accommodation
- PPR – Principal place of residence exemption
- FRS – Friendly society exemption
- P (placed in front of the unimproved value) – Pro rata site valuation
- Sec 9 – Any other exemption
- CON – Construction for exempt uses
- CROWN – Crown land
- TS – Trust surcharge
- COR – Coronavirus (COVID-19) land tax reduction
- BFR – Bushfire land tax relief
- BTR – Eligible build-to-rent development
- CLB – Land tax club exemption
- PPR s61 – Exemption for recently built or renovated homes on land subsequently used as a principal place of residence
- COVE – Exemption for land protected by a conservation covenant
- PPR QD – Principal place of residence for land occupied by a person with a qualifying disability
Making changes or raising issues
You must notify us of any errors or omissions in your assessment within 60 days of the issue date of your assessment. Penalties may apply if you do not notify us within this time.
You can make most common changes and updates easily online via My Land Tax, including:
- updating your contact details
- updating your principal place of residence
- removing land that you did not own as at 31 December
- add additional land which was not included in your assessment
- applying for an exemption for your principal place of residence, primary production land or for building or renovating.
You will need to contact us directly on 13 21 61 if you:
- receive more than one individual assessment for the same year for lands you own by yourself
- are receiving a principal place of residence exemption for land that is not your home
- are receiving any other exemption you are not eligible for
- hold land on trust
- are an absentee owner and the absentee owner surcharge has not been applied.
Objections
If you disagree with the site value on your assessment, you can object via our online portal within 2 months of receiving your land tax assessment. We cannot accept late objections.
If you still have an issue after making updates, you can formally dispute the assessment by lodging an objection within 60 days of you receiving your assessment.
Even if you have lodged an objection, you must still pay your land tax in full by the due date or you may be charged interest. If your objection is successful, you will get a refund with interest.
We will advise you in writing of the outcome of your objection.
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Last modified: 26 August 2025
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